Words starting with P Flashcards

1
Q

palliate

A

to reduce the severity of something

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2
Q

Pallid

A

lacking colour

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3
Q

paltry

A

trivial, worthless

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4
Q

panacea

A

a cure-all: an answer for all problems

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5
Q

pandemonium

A

wild disorder; confusion

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6
Q

paradigm

A

an example that illustrates a perfect pattern or model

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7
Q

paragon

A

a model of excellence or perfection

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8
Q

pariah

A

an outcast

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9
Q

parley

A

discussion, conference

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10
Q

parlous

A

dangerous

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11
Q

parsimony

A

frugality, stinginess

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12
Q

partisan

A

a follower, adherent

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13
Q

pathos

A

an emotion or sympathy

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14
Q

patrimony

A

inherited right

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15
Q

paucity

A

lack, scarcity

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16
Q

pedantic

A

overly concerned with minor details: over scrupulous

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17
Q

peevish

A

having or showing an irritable disposition

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18
Q

pejorative

A

insulting, derogatory, uncomplimentary

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19
Q

Pellucid

A

transparent, clear

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20
Q

Penchant

A

A tendency, partiality or preference

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21
Q

penurious

A

miserly, stingy

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22
Q

perfidious

A

disloyal, unfaithful

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23
Q

perfunctory

A

showing little interest or enthusiasm

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24
Q

pernicious

A

extremely destructive or harmful

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25
Q

perspicacity

A

shrewdness or perceptiveness

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26
Q

pert

A

bold, flippant

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27
Q

perusal

A

careful examination or review

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28
Q

pervasive

A

having a tendency to spread out

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29
Q

petulance

A

irritable, rude

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30
Q

phlegmatic

A

uninterested, unresponsive

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31
Q

Picaresque

A

Pertaining to an adventurous wanderer

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32
Q

pillage

A

to sieze or plunder most likely using force

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33
Q

pithy

A

concisely meaningful

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34
Q

placid

A

peaceful, calm

35
Q

platitude

A

a dull, uninspiring remark or cliche

36
Q

plethora

A

an abundance, excess

37
Q

poignant

A

deeply affecting or moving

38
Q

polemic

A

an aggressive argument against a specific opinion

39
Q

postulate

A

to assume true the existence, fact or truth of something

40
Q

potentate

A

one who has great power, a ruler

41
Q

pragmatic

A

practical

42
Q

predicate

A

to decide or assert

43
Q

predilection

A

a preference or inclination towards something

44
Q

preponderance

A

superiority in something or quantity

45
Q

prepossessing

A

occupying the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings

46
Q

presage

Sentence: Indians believe that their idols falling are a presage for bad luck and fortune.

A

omen

47
Q

prescience
sentence: The magician was said to be prescient, as he claimed to predict the future and then accurately describe it to his audience.

A

to have foreknowledge of events

48
Q

primeval

Sentence: Scientists recently confirmed that it is needed the monkeys who are our primeval ancestors.

A

original, ancient

49
Q

prevaricate

sentence: Students prevaricate frequently in order to placate their teachers, even though they do not do work.

A

to speak or act in an evasive way

50
Q

privation:

The government’s highly corrupt deals just exacerbates the citizens’ privations

A

lacking basic necessities

51
Q

probity
Sentence: Teachers found it appalling when they discovered that the student who was thought to have probity prevaricated them into believing that he does his homework

A

integrity, honesty

52
Q

prodigal

Spoilt children often do not know the value of money and are prodigal.

A

wasteful

53
Q

profligate

The businessman is said to a be profligate, he spends his money on gambling and alcohol

A

extravagant, dissolute( overindulgence in pleasures)

54
Q

proliferate

The country proliferated its stockpile of weapons and chemical gas, which led to widespread outrage

A

to increase rapidly in number

55
Q

promulgate

The teacher promulgated the fact that there can only be two electrons in the 1st electron shell in an atom.

A

to proclaim, or make known

56
Q

propitious

The apparent anger in the crowd did not seem to be propitious for the pert players

A

favorable

57
Q

prosaic

The long and prosaic essay did not convince the teacher, and hence he gave the student a rather low mark.

A

dull, commonplace

58
Q

protean

The boy’s protean capabilities were far reaching: he was exemplary in everything that he attempted

A

able to change shape, displaying great variety

59
Q

prowess

Illayaraja, despite not attending any formal music lessons, was said to be a musical prowess.

A

extraordinary ability

60
Q

prudence

A

caution, or good judgement

61
Q

puerile

Sentence: the student despite being 17, behaved in a puerile manner amongst his friends. He lacked mental maturity

A

juvenile, immature

62
Q

pugnacious

Kim-Jong Un’s pugnacious behaviour leads to global concern about what he intends on doing next.

A

quarrelsome, combative

63
Q

pulchritude

The poet wrote a numerous number of poems on the pulchritude of the surrounding landscape and countryside

A

physical beauty

64
Q

punctilious

The coward always preferred to be punctilious, rather than defying his parents’ words.

A

very exact, precise

65
Q

puritanical

A

harsh, rigid, strict

66
Q

putrefy

A

to rot, decay

67
Q

panegyric

A

public speech or published text in praise of something or someone

68
Q

parable

A

a simple story used to explain a moral or spiritual lesson.

69
Q

paraphernalia

A

miscellaneous articles, especially the equipment needed for a particular activity

70
Q

parochial

A

having a limited or narrow outlook or scope

71
Q

peculate

A

embezzle or steal money

72
Q

peremptory

A

immediate attention or obedience

73
Q

perspicuous

A

clearness of a statement

74
Q

philistine

A

indifferent to culture and arts

75
Q

pithy

A

concise, meaningful

76
Q

pittance

A

a very small amount, especially relating to money

77
Q

plaintive

A

sounding sad or mournful

78
Q

pliant

A

easily bent, adaptable

79
Q

preclude

A

to prevent opposite of include

80
Q

preen

A

to make oneself look smart and presentable

81
Q

privy

A

to have knowledge of something secret

82
Q

propriety

A

the quality or state of being decent, proper

83
Q

prattle

Taha prattles about significant things: he keeps repeating his life achievements over and over again.

A

babble

84
Q

ponderous

His jokes were never light-hearted. They were on the contrary quite ponderous

A

heaving, weighty